


Redolent of Tenderness

by salamisato



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, they're married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24532177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salamisato/pseuds/salamisato
Summary: The world is cold and life is hard. Good thing for Isa, his husband is warm and always there to catch him when he's about to fall.
Relationships: AkuSai - Relationship, Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 54





	Redolent of Tenderness

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a while ago as a gift for my good friend Kat ([@sophkat](http://twitter.com/sophkat7)) 💖
> 
> Title is from the poem Sleep by Annie Matheson. This _could_ be seen as part of the continuity of my other fic [The Stories We Tell](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21014219/chapters/49977689), but it could also be set in future canonverse.

It was a long day in a series of long, exhausting weeks. Isa's desk was flooded with tedious paperwork that never ceased and every so often, he'd get an email or call from his boss about revisions that needed to be done and reports that needed to be submitted—all while his colleagues never seemed to do anything.

Of course, this was nothing new. Not the overwhelming workload nor the overbearing boss nor the incompetent colleagues. He'd done all this three times over during his time as second in command in the Organization. In fact, Saïx, the stiff and cold Number VII—under Xehanort’s control and without a heart to feel anything beyond anger and pain—had thrived in a cold and stringent office environment.

Isa, on the other hand, had dreams of something more. He still had all of the work ethic that he’d possessed as a Nobody, of course, but now he had the pesky additional burden of feelings, loneliness and unachieved hopes and dreams. And not to mention, the nightmares that still haunted him in his sleep, taunting him with terrible ‘ _what if_ ’s and bittersweet ‘ _what could’ve been_ ’s that, come morning, filled him with a longing for something to fill the growing hollow in his chest.

He had joined Radiant Garden’s new administrative division in hopes to right wrongs, help make a difference, and to give back to the city he’d had a hand in destroying all those years ago.

Now though, he sat inside a cramped office cubicle surrounded by paperwork and the sound of ringing phones and idle chatter. He stared outside the small window to his right, wishing for something to appear: his loved ones on their Keyblade gliders, a gummiship bringing urgent news, or even a swarm of Heartless—anything. But nothing came. Outside was just a regular day. Flowers bloomed, people went about their day and the sky was clear.

He sighed.

The day went on.

When Isa clocked out, it was well past his actual work hours. His back ached and his head throbbed as he made his way home, taking the route he always took.

He unlocked the front door of his house, switching on the lights and mumbling “I’m home” under his breath. He took off his coat and shoes at the entrance, ignoring how his were the only ones there.

Sighing, he ambled his way towards the kitchen, setting down his keys on the counter and slumping into a chair. He fished out his phone, finding a series of unread messages from Xion. His lips quirked up, but he couldn’t find the energy to smile.

 _‘Hope ur doing ok Isa! I know how u are when ur alone for too long. But remember that we love you!!! You’re doing great work at the castle and we’re all so proud of you_ 💜’

The next message was a photo, showing Roxas and Xion posing for a selfie together in what seemed to be a coffee shop, grinning at the camera.

‘ _Met Roxas today! We got to catch up a little. We both miss u & Lea to pieces!!! I’ll try to visit u sometime this week ok? :) Love you Blue Dad!!_’

Isa’s breath hitched as he read through the messages again. He enlarged the photo she sent, finger hovering close to their faces through the screen. A lump formed in his throat.

He typed out his reply: ‘ _I miss you both dearly and hope you’re both doing well. Thank you for checking in. Love you too._ ’

After hitting send, he set the phone down and took a deep breath that he let out slowly, counting the soft beats of his heart as he did. He frowned, staring at nothing in particular, his mind slow to untangle itself from the knots it had been in all day. All the while, the crickets sang their song outside, keeping him company as he stewed in his thoughts.

Funny, how even now with a heart, that gaping hollow in his chest as a Nobody still followed him. With Roxas and Xion out of the house and with his inability to keep a proper friend for long, Isa found himself lonelier than he’d been in a long time. Maybe he deserved it. After all the harm he’d caused, surely he still deserved to be punished. But he supposed he should be grateful. All things considered, it was a mild punishment after what he’d gone through.

But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

He sat there for a long while, thoughts spiraling further and further, falling deeper into darker and darker thoughts until—

His stomach rumbled.

_Dinner. Right. I should do something about that._

With no one to please and only his own lacking appetite to serve, he opted for a bowl of instant noodles. He turned on the TV, appreciative of the noise and distraction it provided as he ate.

He usually hated watching reality TV or anything of the like, but now he found himself drawn to the inane, invented drama of the contestants. His mind constantly spaced out as he watched them, drifting every now and then to dull thoughts of work, and more depressing thoughts he wished he wouldn’t dwell on, but did anyway.

Absorbed in his own thoughts and the ridiculous scenarios on the screen, he almost didn’t realize the front door rattling.

He shot out of his seat, heartbeat thumping in his ears as he readied to summon his weapon when, to his surprise, the door flung open.

Isa froze, mouth agape as he watched Lea stand at the entrance, back to Isa as he struggled to drag several bags worth of luggage through the door.

“Lea?” Isa said, voice far softer than he’d intended.

Lea jumped and whirled around. “Isa!” he exclaimed. “Hey, didn’t expect you to still be up!” He grinned, and it was enough for warmth to bloom instantly in Isa’s chest.

Isa stood still where he was, watching dumbly as Lea fumbled with his things. When Lea finally managed to get everything inside and locked the door, he looked up and met Isa's eyes. The sight of that familiar green made Isa’s breath catch in his throat.

“Hey.” Lea's grin fell. “You okay?”

“I… I didn’t expect you to be back today,” said Isa quietly. “You said your mission would take a few more weeks.”

“Yeah.” Lea chuckled. He put his bags to one side and walked across the room to where Isa stood. “All our plans kinda flew out the window when the Heartless we were tracking found _us_. But hey, that’s a story for another time. I’m starving.” He made a show of sniffing the air. “You made ramen?” Then he glanced at the TV and chuckled. “And… is that… Are you watching The Next Top Gardener from Hell?”

Isa looked away, fidgeting with the fabric of his sweater as his ears grew hot. “No.”

“Isa?” Lea frowned, his voice soft. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

Isa shook his head, belatedly realizing that a tear was streaming down his face.

In an instant, warm arms enveloped him and he buried his face in the crook of Lea’s neck, breathing in the scent of smoke and faded residues of Lea’s cologne.

“I missed you,” Isa whispered.

“Hey, I missed you too,” Lea said. His hand caressed the back of Isa’s head, fingers combing through Isa’s hair. “I’m sorry for bein' gone for so long. I missed you so much you know. Hey, it’s okay, I’m here.”

Isa groaned. “I’m sorry,” he said into Lea’s shoulder. “I’m being ridiculous. I... had a long day— _days_. And I… I just...”

“I know,” Lea cooed. “Me too. But it’s okay. I’m here now, yeah?” He slowly peeled Isa off his shoulder, then looked him in the eyes. His hand cupped Isa’s cheek, his gaze warm and gentle like the soft rays of morning light.

“Yeah,” Isa said. He kissed the hand Lea had on his face, seeing the faded scars and grazes on his freckled skin.

Lea leaned in, tilted his head up to plant a kiss on the top of Isa’s head, then his forehead, then the space between his eyes where the scar still blemished his skin.

“Wanna talk about it?” Lea said.

“No, not really. It wasn’t anything in particular. It’s just been... tiring. And waking up and coming home to an empty house every day doesn’t exactly better the situation.”

Lea smiled sadly. “Sorry. I know that ever since the kids moved out—”

“It’s fine, Lea.” Isa sighed. He buried his face once more in that comfortable place where Lea’s neck met his shoulder, their bodies coming together like pieces of a puzzle. “Kids grow up. And more than anyone, Roxas and Xion deserve to go out and live their lives as freely as they please.” _Free from me,_ he didn’t say.

Lea said nothing for a while. He just continued to stroke the back of Isa’s head in slow, sleepy motions.

“Hey,” Lea finally said. “I’ll cook us dinner. How’s that?”

Isa snorted. “I already made myself dinner.”

“Instant noodles aren’t a real meal. Isn’t that what you always told Roxas and Xion?”

“Don’t throw my words back at me.”

“Well, too bad! Because I just did. It’s part of the package you ordered when you married me, idiot.”

They laughed, and more than just the sound, Isa loved feeling Lea’s body shudder against his as he laughed. A moment later, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the kitchen, cooking in the quiet hours well past midnight. Lea turned off the TV and let slow melodies float through the room from his phone instead. Isa chopped the ingredients as Lea cooked them in the skillet. They traded banter back and forth with ease despite the weariness in their eyes and bones, speaking in low murmurs of mundane things, words layered with an unsaid affection.

“Looks like you haven’t gone grocery shopping in a while,” Lea said.

“I suppose it has been a while. We could go this weekend.”

“Or I could just do a quick run tomorrow. I miss that cereal we used to have as kids; you remember it?”

Isa smiled. “Yes. It was the one that had a cartoon panda as its mascot. You ate it every single day for the entirety of elementary school.”

Lea grinned. "I got so many cavities."

"Six in total I believe."

"Hah! You got it memorized."

"Good thing they were just your baby teeth. I don't think I could kiss you now if that wasn't the case."

"Ouch, Isa. That hurts." Lea laughed.

"Thank the Lights for our dental plan then."

“Working with the Restoration Committee has its perks, huh?"

"As does being a Guardian of Light. How else would we afford our monthly membership at the Chocobo Country Club?"

Lea chuckled. "Speaking of which, we should plan a day so we could go sometime. It's been a while…"

It always surprised Isa how easy conversation came to him when he was with Lea. Still, they didn’t go without stretches of comfortable silence, but every now and then, a random thought would pop into his mind which had them eventually discussing the most ridiculous things, from the reason why fruits were named what they were, to how funny it would be if Lea had been born a blond. Whatever it was, it didn't much matter what they talked about. All that mattered was that they were talking about it together.

They ate dinner with their knees touching beneath the table, the slightest touch providing the tiniest shred of intimacy that Isa had been craving for so long.

When they finished their food, Isa washed the dishes as Lea leaned against the counter, admiring the plants they grew on the window sill and telling the long story of how his mission ended prematurely. The story came to a close and Isa laughed, placing the last dish on the drying rack before Lea dragged him by the wrist to the middle of the kitchen.

“Dance with me,” Lea said, and what song was playing at the time was of no importance; Isa could've never said no.

So they danced, swaying softly to the slow beat and the singer’s deep, raspy voice. Isa rested his head against Lea’s shoulder, eyes fluttering shut, lulled into contentment as Lea hummed along to the song’s melody.

“Welcome home, Lea,” Isa murmured.

“It’s good to be back,” Lea said. His hand on Isa’s waist pressed closer, however impossible as it was for them to get any closer. “I missed you, Isa.”

Isa smiled, eyes still closed. “I missed you too.”

“Are you falling asleep?”

“Mm.”

Lea chuckled. “Yeah, it's late. _And_ you’ve got work tomorrow." He sighed. "We should really head up to bed.”

“I think I’ll call in sick,” Isa said. “I really… don’t want to be anywhere else right now.”

“You’re gonna use one of your emergency sick days just to spend some time with me?” Lea snickered. “Isa, ya big sap. As _flattered_ as I am, I don’t think—"

“Shhhh, I made my decision.” Isa pulled away from Lea’s arms and poked Lea’s nose. “So not a word.”

Lea shook his head, smiling.

After going through their nighttime routines together, they turned off the lights and crawled onto the bed. They huddled close under the sheets, Isa’s back pressed to Lea’s chest and Lea’s arms wrapped around him. It always amazed Isa how Lea’s body radiated so much warmth, like the hearth of home. Isa had once asked if Lea did it on purpose or if it was just a side effect of his fire magic. But Lea had just given a vague, albeit amused answer that still left Isa wondering.

“Hey,” said Lea, his breath hoarse against Isa’s neck. “I saw that stupid sweater I bought online in the laundry basket. Were you wearing it?” Lea laughed. “Thought ya hated that thing.”

“I do. It’s hideous and they gave you a size two times bigger than what you ordered.”

“Cons of buying shit online I guess.”

“Mm.”

“So why were you wearing it then?”

“It fits me better.”

“The sleeves are longer on you than they are on me.”

“But the rest of it doesn’t hang off me like a trash bag.”

“Ouch. I am _not_ that scrawny—” Lea sputtered. “Whatever. It still doesn’t explain why you were wearing it.”

“What do you want from me, Lea? Is it really a crime to wear something hideous? If it were, you're surely to have already gone to prison years ago.”

Lea laughed. “Hey! I have a very unique fashion style. It's part of my brand."

"And what is this brand exactly?"

"Just think of like… a car crash, but as clothes."

Isa groaned. " _Why_?"

"It's fun. We spent ten whole years wearing nothing but a black cloak. _Lights_ , I hated that thing. So it just feels good to mix everything together and wear whatever the hell I want, ya know? Because I _can_ now. It feels… I dunno. Freeing."

Isa stayed silent, blinking in the dark as he turned the words over in his head. "I… never thought of it that way," he said quietly.

"Yeah." Lea cleared his throat. "Anyway… That doesn't explain why _you_ wore that dumb sweater. _Unless_ …” Isa could practically _hear_ the smirk in Lea’s voice. “You actually _liked_ it."

“I don't."

“Admit it, your taste in fashion is as trashy as mine.” Lea chuckled. “I must’ve rubbed off on ya, huh?”

“Never in a million years."

“Yeah, _right_.”

Isa hummed as his mind began to drift into sleep. But just before the tides of slumber took him, he mumbled: "It smelled like you.” He fell asleep then. But not before catching Lea’s hushed words;

“I love you, Isa.”

As loving arms enfolded him, the exhaustion Isa had felt for so long seeped from his shoulders, the warmth lulling him into a rare, peaceful sleep. Come morning, sunshine would greet him with the promise of a new and better day. Things would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are always much appreciated 💖 Stay safe out there everyone.
> 
> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/haidadraws) and [Tumblr](https://haidadraws.tumblr.com/).


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